DARREN ANDERTON is making up for lost time after missing out on the chance to sign for Rangers .

The former England World Cup star has agreed to turn out for the Rangers Legends this spring in his home town of Southampton in aid of Help for Heroes.

He will play alongside the likes of Mark Walters, Michael Mols and Marco Negri – and old Spurs pals Graham Roberts and Mark Falco.

And he knows wearing a Light Blue top would have found favour with his Rangers-daft dad Norman.

Anderton said: “I’m really looking forward to the match against the Southampton Legends. It’s being played at Eastleigh’s ground, which is just five minutes from where I was brought up.

“My dad was originally from Motherwell but his family settled in Southampton when he was a teenager. He never lost his love for Rangers though.

“When I was growing up he was always telling me about Old Firm games and the way he described them made them seem magical.

“I grew up in Southampton, which is at the other end of the country, but I always had an interest in Rangers – even more so when the English teams were banned from Europe and Rangers were doing so well in what would have been the European Cup then.

“And I knew a lot of the Rangers guys from my time at Spurs, like Graham Roberts and Mark Falco. I still see them and they always speak very fondly of their time at Ibrox.”

Anderton knew his dad’s chat about Rangers was for real when he starred for England at Euro 96.

“ Gazza was with Rangers at the time and he spoke an awful lot about how he loved it up in Glasgow. It was wonderful seeing him so happy.

“He had just won the league with Rangers and he was absolutely buzzing. He went to Rangers at exactly the right time and the fans up there definitely saw the best of him.

“He was a big favourite at Rangers and so he should have been because he was a great player and a top guy.”

Anderton, now 43, can’t wait to pull on the Rangers top, although he’s gutted his dad never got to see him playing in one.

He said: “I came so close to signing for Rangers in 2004 and it’s a regret that I couldn’t make it happen.

“My contract was up at Tottenham and I really fancied a move up to Glasgow. In fact, I’d go as far as to say I tried to force through the move.

“But when I was up there, I had an injury and wasn’t going to be fit for three or four weeks.

“It was something I never hid from the manager Alex McLeish. I had a bad Achilles and I think the club doctor tried to steer Alex away from me, which was a shame.”